Package distribution system



s mes TJA N m: M VmE W WmJ. A a B 5 a Sept. 9, 1952 R. COUCHMAN, JR, l' -ITAL PACKAGE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed Aug. 1, 1950 u 2 3 m M A N w w m m .mwd. M

R COUCHMAN, JR ET AL PACKAGE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Sept. 9, 1952 'lled Aug 1, 1950 Patented Sept. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE DISTRIBUTION'SYSTEM Robert Couchman, Jr., San Jose, andW'erner John Raab, Campbell, Calif.

6 Claims.

'I'his invention. relates. to. a. material handling system, and more. particularly-to "a distribution system for. packages. or the.like,;. adapted to receive packagesfrom asin'glelinevofsupplyand distribute them. into two. or more. supply lines.

In summary, the distribution system .ofthe invention comprises. a closed path. conveyor. constituting a package supply reservoir, one.or..more package receiving chutes angularlyadisposed vvto the closed path conveyor, .control.means. including package sensing. tmeans. associated. with. the chutes operable. to, selectively divert, packages. or groups. of'packages. to the. chutes whenmthe package supply within. the...chutes.Joecomesadeplete'd' in a predetermined ldegreeuop recycle. the packages past the inlet ends.-.oflthe..chutes..on the closed path. conveyor untilrsuchntime. as. the requisite depletion; of the. packages within. the chutes takes place, andpa'ckage'. feeder .means for the closed path .conveyorloperable. underl the control of package sensing meansassociated with the conveyor. totfeedapackages thereto to maintain'the package supillyreservoir atTtheminimum level needed for. the supply of'the. chutes... Additiona11y,. the distributionusysteml may' include means for joining together the plurality t package'supply lines carriedby thelchuteslso that a single line of 7 packageseventually leaves Qthe system, and the preferred-- means for achieving this package supply line integration is aconveyor belt'movable in parallel relation tolthe closed" path conveyor and thus in angularlyldisposed relation to the one or more chutes.embodied in.the system, with the outer edge of'lthis conveyor belt extending beyon'd'the outlet ends of the chutesrso that the packages upon issuance from the :outlet ends of'the' chute will becarriedforwardlyron thebeltat a greater rateof travel thanwas imparted to; them .by. the. belt when the packages resided within the chutes.

Various objects and advantages of the invention will be" apparent irom'the following. description taken 'in conjunction. with .the drawings forming part of. this specification, and. in which:

Figure. 1 is asemi-s'chematicplan view 'oijthe distributiomsystem "of the invention;

Figure 2 is a"diagram1natic representation-. of the electrical control; circuit for .the diversion. of packages from the closed path. conveyor to a chuteyand Figure 3-is a diagrammaticrepresentation of theelectrical'circuit for the control of the supply ofpackages to the'closed pathor packagereservoirconveyor.

"Referring to the drawings for? more details of the invention, the" distribution" system comprises ..2 a-closed path conveyor indicated generally. at In composedof-a fiat surface plate i 2 peripherally enclosed at the two ends and -onewside-thereof by a guide railsection l4 and. partially enclosed at the remaining side thereof by guide rail' section .16. A drivensprooket [amounted-on shaft 20. extending through plate-i2 is indriving engagementtwith achain 'drive element 22., While an idler sprocket 2 l 'mounted on' shaft'26-extending. .throughplate I2 is likewisein engagement withthe chain drive element. 22. Thechain belt.22...and guide rail-sections M and IB- define a. package. guideway 28. Secured-at preferably equirspaced. intervals to the chain ZZdS HQiPIU- rality. of .pins .30 having portions-32' extending across the guideway 28 and: servingas gpusher armsfor groups of. packages 34, and having;.-portions'.36..for a purpose hereinafter described.

"Package feeder or suppl nmeans for the closed pathconveyor l0 comprise aconveyowbelt 38 adapted to move the packages 34-hetween guide 1ai1s.4li.-and 42 againsta .stop member; such as the flange 44- carriedtby guide rail section -16, to position a fixed .numberof packages; as for example. 4, in'frontof. a. pusher. bar-46.. The pusher .bar 46 is provided. with a bracketAB' to which there is connected .the'armature -5ll of solenoidfifz. When the solenoid 52 is energized at atime and in amanner. hereinafter described, the. pusher bar 46 is moved across the conveyor be1t"381to push the groupof-four. packages-in alignment therewith .on tothe guideway '28 in the path of one of the package pusher arms 32. Whenthe pusher bar 46is urged. toward the guideway 28 in this manner, the flange 54, forming a portion of the pusher. bar, blocks the path of'travel of the remaining: packages .on the belt 38 so that the packages cannot be moved forwardly' on belt .38 .until. the pusher-bar is retracted to its normal position.

Package receiving means. for the closed path conveyor 1 Oare comprised of aplurality of: chutes, such as indicated. at. 55, 58 l and 60,-d8fi1l18dijb horizontallydisposed guide rails 62-angu1arlydisposed with. respect. to. the. adjacent :side of lithe closed. path guideway .28. A .relativelytwide-conveyor belt? 64 ispreferably utilized as: the supporting member for. packages-disposedwithin the chutesandas the means for moving the packages forwardly Within. the chutes toward thedischarge ends 56 thereof. The belt 64' preferably extends laterallybeyond the discharge ends-E66 ,of the chutes. to form, in effect, a single path guideway 88 defined by guide railsections;lllzand flixfor the packages issuing. from; the chutes.

'Eachof .the chutes hassassociated:therewith means for selectively diverting groups of packages as into the chute. For this purpose, chute 56 is provided with a solenoid is operable upon energization in a manner hereinafter described to force pivotally mounted crank arm 2'5 across guideway 28 into parallelism with the inside edge of the far guide rail 62 of chute When solenoid M is de-energized, spring 7% serves to pivotally retract the crank lever arm it from its position of blocking relation across the guideway 28. In similar manner, chutes 58 and 6E3 are provided with, respectively, solenoids 3i] and 82 and pivotally mounted crank lever arms 8% and 86. Springs 88 and 9t] are provided for the crank lever arms 84 and 86.

The control system for the package feeder solenoid 52 is shown in Figure 3. This system is operable to energize the solenoid 52 only when the following conditions obtained: When a full complement or group of packages 3:1 is located in the path of pusher bar 56; when the package carrier spaces on guideways 23, as defined by the spacing between pusher arms 32, are in a predetermined package receiving location with respect to the pusher arm at; and when the package receiving space oppositely disposed to pusher arm it does not contain a group of packages. The first conditioning of the control circuit of Figure 3 for operation of solenoid 52 occurs w an normally opened micro-switch a? carried at flange 4d of guide rail section it is closed by the packages carried by conveyor belt 35, thus indicating that a full complement or group of packages is located in front of pusher bar lhe second condition.- ing of the control circuit for operation of solenoid 52 occurs when one of the pins 9d carried by chain drive 22 closes normally open micro-switch 98, thus indicating that if the packages located in front of pusher bar 45 were moved on to guideway 28 they would be located as a group in. front of one of the package pusher arms 32. The third conditioning of the control circuit occurs when normally closed micro-switch 98, which is opened by engagement of packages with its switch arm H29, returns to the closed position, thus indicating that the pocket or space on the guideway opposite the pusher arm is empty of packages. Solenoid 52 is, therefore, energized when microswitches 52, $6 and which are connected in eries with each other and through relay 492 with solenoid 52, are in the closed position. As previously described, the energizaticn of solenoid 52 causes pusher arm tit to move a group of pack ages on to guiueway 28 in the path of one of the package pusher arms 32, and while this occurs flange of pusher bar it blocks the path of travel of the remaining packages on conveyor belt 38. Pusher bar it remains in its package charging position until the coil Hi l of holding relay l 92 is disconnected from the current supply line by the opening of normally closed micro-switch m6. Micro-switch tail is opened by finger 9 which serves to previously close micro-switch 96.

Each of the package chutes 55, 58 and 6G is provided with a separate control circuit, such as that shown in Figure 2, for the operation of its respective solenoid and crank lever arm package feed means. faking chute 58 as an example, solenoid M will be energized only when the following two conditions are obtained: When the chute 55 is capable of receiving an additional group of packages t t; and when the group of packages within a closed path conveyor pocket arrives in a pre-determined position with respect mouth of chute 55. When the last package within chute 55 has moved out of engagement with the switch arm normally closed micro-switch W8, the latter is the closed position, thereby conditioning the solenoid id for energization when normally open micro-switch lid is closed by lug 36 carried by chain drive Upon the closing of micro-siwtch the solenoid it is operated by the relay H2 of the control circuit of Figure 2, thereby causing the crank lever arm it to be pivoted outwardly into the path of the group of packages designated for chute 56 to divert this group of packages into the chute. The closing of the control relay circuit for solenoid 74 causes the solenoid to be held in operated position under the control of micro-switch 538. When the first package of the incoming gr for chute 56 strikes the switch arm of micro-switch Hit, the switch is opened and solenoid it is de-energiezd. When this occurs, the last package of the group of packages diverted into the chute by crank lever arm is has entered the chute. Upon de-energization of solenoid sprin 78 retracts crank lever arm F8 to its position of rest. Micro-switches H2 and litare the counterparts of micro-switch Hi9 solenoids and 82, respectively, while micro-switches i it and I it are the counterparts of micro-switch Est for solenoids 8i] and 82, respectively,

The distribution system of the invention, as above described, is particularly adapted for use where it is desired that a single supply line of packages be sub-divided to provide a plurality of lines so that the plurality of lines may be led beneath a bank of scales, or the like, for a metering of material into the boxes. Thus, in the distribution system shown in Figure 1, there is also included a support frame for a plurality of scales H8, there being a scale for each of the chutes shown, adapted to feed a predetermined amount of material from a single shaker or material source, not shown, into each of the boxes in each of the chutes. For this purpose, each of the chutes is provided with a package delay gate 520 adapted to arrest a box in material receiving relation beneath a scale, it being understood that the automatic control system for the scales may include gate control means, such as the solenoid E22, adapted upon completion of the feeding of material into the box or package to actuate the crank lever arm 52d and thereby retract the associated chute gate me to continue their movement toward the mouths of the chutes.

In order that the packages may issue from each of the chutes and be carried along in spaced relation on the outlet guideway additional chute gates I25 may be provided, and rod and lever control means I28 and its may be utilized to simultaneously retract the outlet chute gates 26 to allow simultaneous issuance of packages from the plurality of chutes. Actuating means for the rod 128 in the form of a rotatable cam member 632 adapted to be in engagement with roller i3 5 carried by red 28 may be used to obtain the proper timed reciprocating movement of rod 23 for chute opening and closing purposes.

From the foregoing description of the distribution system of the invention, it will be obvious that any number of package chutes may be utilized, as well as any corresponding number of package group receiving packets for the closed path conveyor [6, and that the pusher bar 28 may be adapted to handle a group of packages of any desired number. ihe controlling factor is, of course, that the rate of delivery of packages on input conveyor belt 38 and the rate of travel of chain belt 22 must be sufliciently great to accommodate the package demands on the number of chutes used. In this connection, it will be noted that the distribution system embodies a single movable element in the form of conveyor belt 64 adapted to both move a large number of packages simultaneously at a relatively low speed and adapted to move the combined output of packages from all of the supply lines or chutes at an increased rate of travel.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that all substantial equivalents of said embodiment are within the scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A package distribution system comprising a conveyor having means for cyclically moving spaced groups of packages in a closed path, a chute in package receiving relation to said conveyor, package feeder means for said conveyor operable to deliver groups of packages to said conveyor, a switch arm for said chute movable across the path of travel of the packages carried by the conveyor to divert a group of packages into said chute, control means for said switch arm including sensing means located within said chute operable to actuatethe same in response to a predetermined decrease of the number of packages in said chute, sensing means operable to indicate .a package under-supply on said conveyor, and control means conditioned by operation of said latter sensing means to actuate said feeder means.

2. A package distribution system comprising a horizontally disposed closed-path guideway for packages, means for moving packages in spaced groups around said guideway comprising a driven belt having a plurality of equi-spaced arms extending transversely of said guideway, with each of said arms being adapted to move a group of packages around said guideway, package feeder means for said guideway operable in response to package sensing means to move a group of packages onto said guideway between two spaced arms, package receiving means for said guideway comprising a chute angularly disposed in package receiving relation to said guideway, and means for diverting a group of packages from said guideway into said chute comprising a switching arm movable into a position angularly across said guideway in response to package sensing means associated with said chute.

3. A package distribution system comprising a horizontally disposed closed path guideway, means for moving packages around said guideway comprising a driven belt having a plurality of equi-spaced pusher arms extending transversely of said guideway, package feeder means for said guideway comprising a conveyor disposed adjacent to said guideway and parallel to a section thereof and a pusher bar movable across said conveyor to transfer packages from said conveyor onto said guideway, package receiving means for said guideway comprising a chute angularly disposed thereto, means for diverting packages from said guideway into said chute comprising a switching arm movable into a position in which it is angularly disposed across said guideway in parallelism with said chute,

package sensing means associated with said chute operable to move said switching arm across said guideway in response to the movement past a predetermined point in said chute of the end package therein and operable to retract said arm to an inoperative position upon the movement into said chute of a predetermined number of packages, and package sensing means associated with said guideway operable to move said pusher bar across said conveyor in response to the absence of packages on said guideway opposite said pusher bar. 7

4. A package distribution system comprising ahorizontally disposed closed path guideway, means for moving packages around said guideway comprising a driven belt having a plurality of equi-spaced pusher arms extending transversely of said guideway, package receiving means for said guideway comprising a plurality of mutu ally parallel chutes angularly disposed thereto, means for selectively diverting packages into said chutes from said guideway comprising a switching arm for each chute movable into a position in which it is angularly disposed across said guideway in parallelism with its chute and package sensing means associated with each chute and operable to move its related switching arm across said guideway in response to the. movement past a predetermined point in the chute of the end package therein and operable to retract said arm to an inoperative position upon the movement into said chute of a predetermined number of packages, and package feeder means operable in responseto package sensing means associated with said guideway to maintain a supply of packages on said guideway.

5. A package distribution system comprising a horizontally disposed closed path conveyor constituting a package supply reservoir of a recycling type, a plurality of mutually parallel chutes angularly disposed in package receiving relation to said conveyor, means operable in response to package sensing means associated with said chutes to selectively divert a predetermined number of packages into any of said chutes in response to a package under-supply therein, and means operable in response to package sensing means associated with said conveyor to feed packages on to said conveyor in predetermined positions in response to a package under-supply thereon.

6. A package distribution system as set forth in claim 5 wherein said chutes are horizontally disposed, and conveyor means serving to support the packages within said chutes and move them forwardly therein comprising a movable belt angularly disposed in underlying relation to said chutes and having its outer edge disposed beyond REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,825,038 Anderson Sept. 29, 1931 2,037,931 Schmidt Apr. 21, 1936 2,298,829 McCann Oct. 13, 1942 2,470,922 Dunn May 24, 1949 

